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' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. R. PATTERSON. TELEGRAPH CABLE.

No. 378,175. Patented Feb. 21, 1888.

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.sulating-filling of paraffine.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM R. PATTERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERNELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEGRAPH-CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,175, dated February21, 1888.

Application filed November 17, 1887. Serial No. 235.407.

Zo aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. PATTER- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inTelegraph-Cables, (Case 74,) of which the following is afull,'clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to telegraphcablcs in which the separatelyinsulated wires are formed into a core and protected by a waterproofcovering, a lead pipe being usually used for the outside covering.

Heretofore the cores have been usually dipped in a bath of meltedparaiiine or other insulating material, so as to be thoroughly saturatedthroughout their entire length. After being thus saturated they havebeen either drawn into the pipe or covered by means of a lead press, thespace remaining within the pipe about the core being afterward filledwith insulating materiahwhichlhave usually forced in hot charged withgas. The object of this latter filling, as well as the saturation of thecore, has been to prevent water from penetrating longitudinally in caseof aleak orbreak in the pipe. I have found that cables thus filled arevery satisfactory, and they have now been generally adopted forunderground and aerial telegraph and telephone cables throughout theUnited States, and to a large extent-in foreign countries. It is wellkn0wn,however,

that any insulating material like paraffinenecessarilyincreases, theelectrostatic capacity of the conductors to a considerable extent overand above the capacity of conductors simply insulated with dry cotton orjute. None of these insulating-fillings render the fibrous insulatingmaterial water-proof, the outside pipe being always necessary to protectthe conductors when used out of doors. The function of theinsulating-filling is to act as a dam to prevent water from runninglongitudinally into the pipe. If it were not for the necessity ofguarding against accidental injuries to the pipe, the cable would bebetter without the in- The increase in the static capacity of thecable,due to the use (No model.)

avoid saturating the entire length of the cable,

a portion thereof remaining unsaturated with paraffiue or otherinsulating material. I am thus enabled to lower the static capacity ofthe cable, and at the same time at alternate sections obstruct the flowof water in case it should penetrate through the pipe. I am also enabledto save a large amount of material, and in case the cable is to be runnear steampipes I place the unsaturated sections of cable so that theywill come opposite the pipes. Thus theinsulating-filling will not beheat-ed,asheretofore, by the pipes, so as to cause it to lose itsinsulating properties.

My invention herein consists of a new method in the manufacture oftelegraph-cables and the new product resulting from -the employment ofsaid method.

My method consists in first drying the core of insulated conductors,then saturating said core in alternate sections, and then covering thecore thus prepared with water-proof covering. The new article ofmanufacture resulting consists in an electric cable provided with a coreof insulated conductors, said core being saturated at alternate sectionsand covered by a water-proof sheathing.

reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view ofa cable, portions thereof being broken away, the core being shownunsaturated in one portion and saturated with paraffine at the otherportion orsection in the length of the cable, a steam-pipe being shownnear the dry section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon line m m ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view upon line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is aview of an apparatus for carrying out my method.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout thedifferent figures.

As shown in Fig. 1, a is a section of acable in which the core has beenleft simply insulated with a fibrous material and dry. The core of thesection b of the same cable has been saturated with paraffine. A usualwipe-joint My invention will be readily understood by is shownin Fig. lfor uniting the sections of pipe 0. The pipe 0, it will be observed,fits closely upon the core, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The method of earrrying out my invention will be understood by referenceto Fig. 4. The core d, having been made in the usual manner andconsisting of any desired number of separately-insulated wires, is firstthorlO oughly dried and placed upon areel, 6. From this reel 6 it is ledthrough the lead press f, and after being covered with lead is taken upby the reel 9. Between the reel 6 and the'press f, I have shown atank ofmelted paraffine and r apparatus for dipping alternate sections of thecore into the paraffine, the full lines indicating the core passingthrough the parafiine,

the dotted lines indicating the core and apparatus in position when thecore is lifted from the paraffine. It will be seen that the unsaturatedsection h is just entering the press,while a saturated section, t", isfollowing. Thus by lowering and raising the core the core may besaturated in alternate sections. If desired,

the core may be provided with a serving of cotton or jute. The lead orother water-proof covering should fit closely to the saturated section,so as to obstruct the passage of water,

in case water should penetrate through the 0 outside pipe.

Vhen the cable is to be little exposed to mechanical injury, theunsaturated sections may be left longer than the saturated sections.

For example, the saturated sections may be only two feet, while theunsaturated sections may be each five feet in length. Thus the length ofthe alternate unsaturated and saturated sections may be varied accordingto circumstances.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The method of manufacturing electric cables, whichconsists in providing a dry core of conductors insulated by fibrousmaterial, saturating said core in alternate sections with meltedinsulating material, and covering the core thus prepared with awater-proof sheathing.

2. The method of manufacturing electric cables,which consists inimmersing the core of insulated conductors at alternate sections inmelted para'ffine or other insulating material and covering the corewith ashcathing or pipe of lead, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an electric cable consisting in thecombination, with the lead pipe, of a core of insulated con d uctorsplaced therein, the alternate sections of said core being saturated,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day ofOctober, A. D. 1887.

XVILLIAM R. PATTERSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. Biln'roix', CHAS. G. I-Lxwrnv.

